How to Get a Guard Card & a Permit for a Gun
- 1). Enroll in a security guard training course. Most states mandate security guard applicants to successfully complete a formal training course. In some states, armed security guard applicants must take a series of courses that include classroom work and weapons training. Check with your state's licensing bureau or criminal justice division to find out the mandates for your state.
- 2). Apply for a security guard card. After completing a training course, applicants generally can apply for a state license. Specific licensing requirements for your state are often reviewed in your training course. Although each state has its own list of requirements for getting a license to carry a gun, applicants who have been prohibited under federal law from possessing or transporting a firearm will not receive a license. According to federal law, individuals who have been convicted of a state or federal felony punishable by more than one year in prison or convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence crime cannot receive a license to carry a gun.
- 3). Submit to fingerprinting and a criminal background check. In addition to being used by the state, this information is given to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to check for federal criminal records. If the applicant passes the training course and the criminal background and fingerprint checks, he should receive a security guard license and card from his state.
- 4). Enroll in a weapons training course. If the security guard course that you took did not include weapons training, you will have to take a course on how to properly use weapons.
- 5). Apply for a gun permit. This procedure varies from state to state. Before granting gun permits, all states require criminal background checks on the applicants. States differ in their procedures after this requirement. Some states require applicants to apply for a license to purchase a gun permit. In addition to the background checks, the applicants must also have letters of reference, give information on their employment and residential history and show evidence of their familiarity with firearms. Other states allow applicants to register for a gun permit at a local law enforcement agency after successfully completing a weapons training course. Check with your state to determine the specific requirements you must meet in order to receive a gun permit.
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